Flower pot container



ep 5, 1967 v H. J. SOLOMON 3,339 310 FLOWER POT CONTAINER Filed Dec. 6, 1965 INVENTOR. #477 J." 50 74271077 United States Patent 3,339,310 FLOWER POT CONTAINER Harry J. Solomon, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Decor Plastic Company, a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 511,626 6 Claims. (Cl. 4734) This invention relates to an ornamental container for supporting devices such as clay flower pots.

The use of ornamental containers for holding clay flower pots is well known. Although it is preferable to grow a plant in a clay flower pot due to the inherent porosity of such pots, the clay pots have little, if any, decorative value. It, therefore, is common practice to position the clay pot inside of an ornamental container. A wide variety of ornamental containers have been proposed for this purpose. Normally, the ornamental container is formed with a ledge that supports the ledge formed by the extending upper flange of the clay flower pot. The standard size clay flower pots sold by the various manufacturers vary from each other in size. The variation is a result of the different clays used by each manufacturer and the different moisture content of the clay at the time of firing. Frequently, an ornamental container adapted to support a. given size of clay flower pot will not accommodate the pots of all manufacturers even though they may be of the same nominal size.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide an ornamental container for flower pots or other similar devices that will accommodate to manufacturing variations in the size of the supported device.

An ornamental container embodying this invention is formed with first and second sections. The first section defines an opening at one end thereof for receiving the device to be supported in the container. The other end of the first section is joined to a respective open end of the second section by a ledge. A plurality of spaced tabs extend inwardly of the ledge for engaging and supporting the contained device. The tabs have suflicient inward extent to supportingly accommodate different sized devices within a predetermined range set by the nominal size of the contained device.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an ornamental container embodying this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a broken cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectionalview taken in the direction of the line 3,-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view, in part similar to FIGURE 3, showing another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an elevational View taken in the direction of the arrow 5 in FIGURE 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and in particular to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1 through 3, an ornamental container embodying this invention is identified generally by the reference numeral 11. The container 11 is intended primarily for holding and supporting clay flower pots. The container 11 consists of a first or upper section 12 having a generally cylindrical cross-section and defining a cylindrical inner surface 13 of sufficient size to accept a clay flower pot indicated generally by the reference numeral 14 (FIGURE 2).

The lower end of the upper section 12 is connected to the upper end of a lower section 15 having a truncated conical shape that is substantially circular in cross-section. The upper diameter of the lower section 15 is smaller than the diameter of the adjacent portion of the upper section 12, and a ledge 16 joins these sections. The lower end of the section 15 is closed by a horizontally extending wall 17.

As has been noted, the clay flower pot 14 is adapted to be supported in the container 11. The clay flower pot 14, like the container 11, has upper and lower sections 18 and 19 with a ledge or shoulder 21 formed at the juncture between these sections. The upper opening of the lower container section 15 is sufiiciently large to clear the lower flower pot section 19 so that it may be received within the container section 15.

The flower pot 14 is supported within the container with its lower surface spaced above the wall 17 by a plurality of inwardly extending tabs, indicated generally by the reference numeral 22. The tabs 22 have upper surfaces 23 that lie substantially in the same plane as the upper surface of the ledge 16 and extend radially into the opening formed at the upper end of section 15. The tabs have suflicient inward extent so that they will engage the smallest anticipated diameter of the outer section of a clay flower pot, as indicated in phantom by the numeral 24. As has been noted, the clay flower pot will vary in actual dimension for any given nominal size. The tabs 22 have suflicient extent to engage and support the smaller anticipated diameter of a given nominal size without interfering with the section 19. In a like manner, the largest anticipated size flower pot, indicated in phantom by the line 25, will be supported upon the ledge 16. The upper section 12 has suflicient internal diameter to clear this largest expected size.

Preferably, the tabs 22 are relatively narrow and are circumferentially spaced around the section 15. If desired, somewhat wider tabs may be employed and such tabs are shown in the embodiments of FIGURES 4 and 5 identified by the reference numeral 41. In other respects the container in this embodiment is the same as that which has been described.

Since the flower pot 14 is spaced above the lower surface 17 of the container, height variation will also be accommodated. This spacing also provides a volume for drainage.

The container 11 is preferably integrally formed of plastic and may be molded to shape. Thus, the outer periphery of the container 11 may be embossed or formed with any suitable decorative pattern. Various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ornamental container adapted to support flower pots having various sizes within a given nominal size, the flower pots having generally like contour comprised'of two joined segments defining a downwardly facing shoulder therebetween, said container having first and second sections, said first section defining an opening at one end thereof large enough to receive both segments of the largest size flower pot within the given nominal size to be supported, the other end of said first section being joined to a respective open end of said second section by a ledge, said open end of said second seciton being large enough to receive the smaller segment of the largest size flower pot within the given nominal size to be supported, the inner periphery of said ledge being greater in size than the outer periphery of the "shoulder of the smallest size flower pot within the given nominal size to be supported, and a plurality of spaced tabs extending inwardly of said ledge for engaging and supporting the received flower pot thereupon through engagement with its shoulder, said tabs having suflicient inward extent to supportingly accommodate the smallest size flower pot within the given nominal size to be supported without interfereing with the positioning of the largest size flower pot within the given nominal size to be supported within said container the supporting surfaces of said tabs lying in the same plane as said ledge.

2. An ornamental container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first container section is substantially cylindrical in cross section, the second container section has a substantially truncated conical shape and is closed at its other end by an integral wall, the tabs are circumferentially spaced around said second section and said first section, said second section and said tabs are integral.

3. An ornamental container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the container sections are generally circular in cross-section with the other end of the first section being larger in diameter than the respective end of the second section.

wherein the first and second sections and tabs of the container are integral.

5. An ornamental container as set forth in claim 4 wherein the container is formed from a plastic.

6. An ornamental container as set forth in claim 4 wherein the container sections are generally circular in cross-section with the other end of the first section being larger in diameter than the respective end of the second section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,778,150 10/1930 Freeburg 47-38 ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

4. An ornamental container as set forth in claim 1 20 R. CARTER, P. A. RAZZANO, Assistant Examiners. 

1. AN ORNAMENTAL CONTAINER ADAPTED TO SUPPORT FLOWER POTS HAVING VARIOUS SIZES WITHIN A GIVEN NOMINAL SIZE, THE FLOWER POTS HAVING GENERALLY LIKE CONTOUR COMPRISED OF TWO JOINED SEGMENTS DEFINING A DOWNWARDLY FACING SHOULDER THEREBETWEEN, SAID CONTAINER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS, SAID FIRST SECTION DEFINING AN OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF LARGE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE BOTH SEGMENTS OF THE LARGEST SIZE FLOWER POT WITHIN THE GIVEN NOMINAL SIZE TO BE SUPPORTED, THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST SECTION BEING JOINED TO A RESPECTIVE OPEN END OF SAID SECOND SECTION BY A LEDGE, SAID OPEN END OF SAID SECOND SECITON BEING LARGE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THE SMALLER SEGMENT OF THE LARGEST SIZE FLOWER POT WITHIN THE GIVEN NOMINAL SIZE TO BE SUPPORTED, THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID LEDGE BEING GREATER IN SIZE THAN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE SHOULDER OF THE SMALLEST SIZE FLOWER POT WITHIN THE GIVEN NOMINAL SIZE TO BE SUPPORTED, AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED TABS EXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID LEDGE FOR ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING THE RECEIVED FLOWER POT THEREUPON THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS SHOULDER, SAID TABS HAVING SUFFICIENT INWARD EXTENT TO SUPPORTINGLY ACCOMMODATE THE SMALLEST SIZE FLOWER POT WITHIN THE GIVEN NOMINAL SIZE TO BE SUPPORTED WITHOUT INTERFEREING WITH THE POSITIONING OF THE LARGEST SIZE FLOWER POT WITHIN THE GIVEN NOMINAL SIZE TO BE SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER THE SUPPORTING SURFACES OF SAID TABS LYING IN THE SAME PLANE AS SAID LEDGE. 